FANATICAL FIVE TRUSTEES ACTIONS COSTING TAXPAYERS

$119,254 Missing In Action

$119,254-Administrator Missing in Action Where are you?  Taxpayers want to know!

A controversial closed and non-transparent hire In July last year on the heels of the Village Trustee election which saw opponents to Mayor Derrick Burgess swept into office which included Debbie Williams, Sherry Jasinski and Gary Bell.  The trio formed a coalition with Trustees Linda Todd and Bernice Brewer to not only shut down the progress made by Mayor Burgess but to also bring in their own Village Administrator to do their bidding.  They found an inexperienced and grossly incapable candidate in Christopher Williams who had only a few months of work experience in the Village of Hazel Crest.  Williams’ employment was terminated in Hazel Crest under the guise of “consolidation” but some of Hazel Crest’s Trustees and officials privately indicated there was much more to that story.   Mayor Burgess was brought to court by the Fanatical Five Trustees to impose their new administrator upon the Village.   The court did impose Christopher Williams on the taxpayers, despite Mayor Burgess’ fervent objections to avoid having more cost imposed upon the residents and not having the right to make his own appointment. 

Make no mistake, Christopher Williams does not work for or answer to Mayor Derrick Burgess or even the taxpayers of Sauk Village for that matter he is, however, at the beck and call of the Fanatical Five Trustees led by their ringleader Debbie Williams.   Christopher Williams was hired in at an expense to the taxpayers of $90,000 per year and we wonder if there is a relationship with Trustee Debbie Williams due to their very close relationship.  So far Christopher Williams has yet to give the taxpayers of Sauk Village a 40 hour work week since he was hired.  He has taken days off, despite the fact that he has not earned any “vacation days” according to the Village’s own policy.  Christopher Williams clearly does not work on Wednesdays at all, and during other “work days” sometimes shows up as late as 11am and leaving at 3pm.  Christopher Williams sequesters himself off all day in his office popping out to use the restroom or poke his head up around lunchtime.  

Union negotiations have been non-existent with the United Steelworkers for Public Works.  Many day to day tasks have gone undone at Village Hall, ignored and pushed to the side under Christopher Williams as the Fanatical Five Trustees placed him in charge of the “day to day operations of the Village” over Mayor Derrick Burgess’ objections.  In fact, Christopher Williams has given virtually no reports of any substance during Village Board meetings.   

Clearly taxpayers are not getting what they are paying for in Christopher Williams, nor have the Fanatical Five been delivering on their campaign pledges to those who voted for them.  Taxpayers are paying Christopher Williams $90,000 in salary and a total cost to residents of $119,254 with benefits but clearly are not getting what they deserve.  The Fanatical Five are allowing gross violations of Village policy as it applies to all other employees, but it appears it's just fine for Christopher Williams.  

The new regime, the Fanatical Five are now costing taxpayers of Sauk Village $20,000-$30,000 per month in legal fees each month but are not being transparent when it comes to the invoices to show what it is they’re actually doing.  Now the Village faces action by the Illinois Attorney General because Christopher Williams is serving as the Village's Freedom of Information Act Officer and clearly is not doing the job well.  Mayor Burgess had gotten that amount down to $7,000 per month saving taxpayers $312,000 from 2017 to 2019, but that all has come to a screeching halt and the savings out the window.